Conceivable information processing systems by way of a network may include a network electronic conferencing system (network conferencing system), a network education system, a network game system, etc.
For example, in a network electronic conferencing system of these, a condition of a conference is photographed by a video camera and moreover, materials used in presentation are supplied to conference attendees using a video projector.
To record information thus obtained and create conference proceedings (conference contents) from this information later, typically it has been common to store moving picture/audio information obtained by shooting the condition of the conference and still picture information (presentation materials used in presentation) used in the conference separately from each other. This is because often the moving picture/audio information that has recorded the conference condition is managed by a promoter of the conference and the presentation materials are managed by a person (presenter) who has presented the materials himself. With this, later, a conference attendee, when ordered by the conference promoter, would use these pieces of information stored separately from each other to create conference proceedings as electronic data (conference contents).
Conference contents are thus created utilizing the moving picture/audio information and the presentation materials stored separately from each other and so it is troublesome. In addition, it gives rise to the following problems.
To hold a conference, the number of projectors (video projectors etc.) used in it is not limited to one. Often, several projectors are often used to display different presentation materials while a conference is proceeding.
In a case where one projector is used, it is possible to create conference proceedings of the day electronically by repeating processing of reviewing a timing for inserting presentation materials as reproducing moving picture/audio information included on the day and, at an appropriate timing, inserting the presentation materials into the moving picture/audio information.
However, in a case where several projectors are used to display different presentation materials as a conference is proceeding, it is not clear which one of the presentation materials is used in each of scenes as presentation is proceeding.
Even if a timing for using each of the presentation materials is known beforehand, in many cases a timing cannot be determined for synthesizing the presentation materials into moving picture/audio information; moreover, in such a case, the new presentation materials have been inserted in place of the presentation materials used immediately previously, so that the previous presentation materials disappear. However, in an actual conference, in many cases both of the materials are used while the conference is proceeding. Therefore, the same condition of a conference as that which has actually been held cannot be reproduced in conference contents, which are proceedings.
Further, a promoter (presenter) of a conference transfers necessary presentation materials to a projector (video projector etc.) to display them on the video projector in synchronization with proceeding of the conference, in which case preferably the materials are recorded each time they are transferred to the projector because they can be recorded as materials that go in line with the proceeding of the conference.
In this case, if a condition of the conference could be recorded at the same time, the condition of the conference as well as presentation materials used in it can be reproduced simultaneously with each other, so that recorded information can be reorganized after recording is finished, to be used as proceedings (conference contents) of the conference.
The conference contents, if converted into, for example, an HTML format, can be viewed or copied by a specific third party via a network, which is very convenient for the purpose of sharing the conference contents.
In the conference contents, when a conference image, which is a portion of the conference contents, is being reproduced, to reproduce presentation materials used in the conference in synchronization with the image, such a method may be conceivable that address information, for example, a URL required to access still picture information of still pictures, text data, etc. is written into a portion of streaming data of this conference image, for example, a header portion or a user area.
In reproduction, by retrieving the inserted address information with this streaming data being reproduced and, when the address information is detected, reproducing the corresponding presentation materials allows this presentation materials to be reproduced in synchronization with the conference image, thus creating conference contents having realistic sensations to the fullest.
However, such a case occurs that, in reproduction of conference contents, one wants to seek for a reproduction screen until he or she finds desired conference contents to be reproduced by skipping the other contents partway. In this case also, although the conference image can be reproduced at an arbitrary seeking point in time, preferably the corresponding presentation materials are reproduced simultaneously in synchronization with the relevant conference image.
However, in a case where the above-mentioned method is employed for inserting the address information into streaming data of an image, if the address information has been inserted into such streaming data that normal reproduction starts when seeking is finished, in synchronization with a relevant conference image, the corresponding presentation materials can be reproduced and displayed.
However, if no address information has been inserted into the image streaming data when seeking is finished, the corresponding presentation materials cannot be retrieved, so that presentation materials displayed on the reproduction screen are not updated and, therefore, less recent presentation materials not related directly to the conference image being reproduced are displayed.
It is thus impossible to achieve a desired purpose of reproducing and displaying presentation materials in synchronization with a conference image.
Further, the above-mentioned presentation materials need to be stored in conference proceedings. For this purpose, for example, such a method may be available for checking when the presenter transfers the materials to a projector so that each time the materials (files) are transferred, they may be recorded (stored) each file.
However, if a size (data quantity) of each of the materials to be displayed is large, there occurs such a case where not all portions of the materials can be displayed on the projector. In such a case, although the file data is all transferred to the side of the projector, not in rare cases the projector displays a portion of the material often, thus resulting in the conference going on while this displayed material is being explained. In main cases, the remaining portions of the transferred materials are displayed with scrolling the screen according to how the explanation goes on so that details of the displayed materials may be explained again as viewing the materials.
In such a case of a conference proceeding, to create a conference contents more synchronously with the actual conference, besides the all materials transferred to the video projector, materials that have been used in an actual explanation also become important in creation of conference contents.
However, by the above-mentioned method of recording presentation materials only when it is transferred to the projector, it is impossible to supply sufficient materials to create conference contents.
This holds true also with a case where presentation materials cover several pages, so that the conference is advanced with specifying a specific page. In such a case, it is necessary to grasp materials being actually displayed on the video projector as a material being used for presentation.
This conferencing system gives rise to almost the same problems not only in a case where a conference is carried out in one conference room but also in such a case where a conference is advanced by electronically connecting a plurality of conference rooms to each other over a network or remote-located conference rooms (e.g., a plurality of locations such as headquarter offices, branch offices, factories, and laboratories) connected to each other over a network.
Such problems occur not only in a network electronic conferencing system but also in a network education system for giving classes between preparatory schools, sister schools, etc. utilizing a network, and in a network game system for playing a game between a plurality of persons located remotely from each other, etc.
To solve these problems, the present invention has been developed and, it is a first object of the present invention to, especially even in a case where a plurality of displays is used, enable still picture information displayed on these displays to be recorded one and all and, also in reproduction, to display all the still picture information on the same screen and zoom up in some of the still picture information actually being used.
It is a second object of the present invention to enable still picture information related to moving picture/audio information o be reproduced in synchronization with this moving picture/audio information and, even when the moving picture/audio information is sought, to be reproduced the still picture information related to the moving picture/audio information when it is sought.
It is a third object of the present invention to enable not only the still picture information displayed on a display to be recorded in synchronization with moving picture/audio information but also the still picture information for which a capture instruction is issued to be recorded in synchronization with this moving picture/audio information so that such contents as to go in line with an actual conference may be created.